The present disclosure relates generally to communication using physiological and activity monitoring systems, and more particularly to the use of multiple transmission modes in a mesh network for communications using physiological and activity monitoring systems.
Use of mobile personal monitoring devices in sports and physical activity applications is well known, but many of these activity monitors may be limited in their functionality. Some limitations may occur with respect to quantifying and contextualizing monitored physiological data. Other limitations may relate more to the number of users who may be simultaneously monitored. For example, in certain applications or networks, the number of users to be monitored may exceed a maximum number of users supported by the network. In one example, a trainer or coach may desire to monitor the activities of individual team members during a training session. If, however, the number of team members to be monitored exceeds the number supported by the network, the trainer or coach may be confronted with less desirable options such as only monitoring a portion of the team at any given time, swapping personal monitoring devices between players, or adding another network or expanding the existing network supporting communications with the personal monitoring devices. Similarly, in a hospital environment, a nurse or doctor having more patients with personal monitoring devices than can be supported by a communications network may likewise be forced to reduce the number of patients being remotely monitored, thus increasing the number of physical monitoring visits that must be performed, or expand the supporting network.
Accordingly, improvements to allow differing numbers of users and/or devices to communicate on a network for physiological and activity monitoring systems may be beneficial.